Page 44 of Whispers of the Dragon
Carefully, Itako took it in her hands and examined it. She began mumbling to herself, which seemed to be a fully one-sided conversation, as there was no one else there …
Right?he thought, looking around.
Leaving Itako to whatever the hell she was doing, Ryu went up to the little girl and picked up her tiny hand that was turning cold.
Did I make the right decision?he questioned himself for what seemed like over a million times in a single second.
“Itako, she’s dying,” he warned gravely with tears beginning to brim his eyes, trying to get her to hurry. Still, the old bat continued talking to herself.
Letting his head fall down over Jun’s body, he did the only thing he thought was left and began to pray, to anyone or anything that would listen. He hoped some of his ancestral magic in him could help though he knew full well that wasn’t how it worked, or his mother would still be alive. Nevertheless, he tried as he prayed over the girl’s body.
When he felt Itako’s presence move closer, he raised his head to shout at her but halted when he watched her pour a liquid into the lifeless mouth.
“What’s that?” he asked through harsh tears, but it only took a few moments for him to get his answer when Jun started to warm in his hands as she was brought back to life.
The girl was weak at first and could only be heard saying, “Mommy …”
Eira’s heart sang when she saw a relieved Ryu waving them inside. The mother, who was now joined by Jun’s father, ran inside, but Eira felt a bit nervous once she entered. Deciding to hold back, she stayed in the corner to watch.
She was grateful to see the sweet girl awake, and relief flooded her to her core. When she saw a teary-eyed Ryu, she felt for him. She only knew Jun for a few brief moments, but the child had entered Eira’s own heart. She couldn’t imagine how poor Jun’s mother felt.
“She will be fine,” Itako assured the weeping mother. “You may take her home to rest more comfortably.”
“Thank you.” Both parents cried, taking care in thanking both the seeress and Ryu.
“You have my life. If there’s anything you ever need, let me know,” the father said to them both.
Ryu bowed at him as he took his daughter in his arms before the happily crying family left.
With them gone, Itako wasted no time waving for her to come closer. “Come here, child.”
Eira swallowed hard and somehow managed to slowly move forward. The old, frail woman was clearly blind, but when the withered hand reached out to touch the markings on her face, she didn’t know how true that was.
Itako not only knew she was scarred, but she also hadn’t stumbled trying to find which side of her face was marked, nor her burned hand that she now grabbed.
It was clear she was delighted to finally meet her. “Pretty.”
Eira beamed with relief. “Thank you.”
“That’s it, child,” Itako commented on her smile, confirming she was not as blind as she appeared. “For you no longer need to hide on this island. I see that Ryu has not told you about us …”
Glancing over at Ryu, she wondered what in the world he had forgotten to mention to her this time.
“On this island, we do not see scars as weakness. We see them as proud badges of honor that many men and women here will be envious of.” Itako firmly gripped her hands in hers tighter. “When things break, we do not throw them away. We put them back together and make them”—she now took Ryu’s hand and placed it on top of Eira’s—“stronger.”
A grinning Ryu made Eira certain she had missed something, possibly an inside tale that only the two knew. However, Itako continued.
“Leaving this island would be a mistake, child, for you have yet to finish your metamorphosis. Give it just one more day”—she lifted a frail finger—“for you might be surprised what can change in just another sunrise.”
Even though Eira had no plans of staying after this ordeal, she could agree to just one more night. “All right.”
“Good.” Satisfied she would stay, Itako shooed them away. “Now go. It is naptime.”
They turned to leave the tiny house, but the seeress quickly remembered something.
“Oh, and Ryu … I’ll be seeing you later.”
When they finally left, Eira couldn’t help but ask, “What does Itako mean?”
